Private-hire drivers don't have it easy.

And it seems like some people still do not appreciate the trials and tribulations some private-hire drivers go through — even when the drivers are their own family.

Mother ashamed of private-hire driver son

On May 30, a woman who calls herself "Makcik Bunga" (Aunt Flower, which we will truncate as the initials MB) sent an anonymous submission to Singaporean deejay Dzar Ismail, who posted it to Facebook.

Here's a summary translation of the post, which is written in Malay:

• MB's son was recently retrenched
• He is currently making ends meet by working as a Grab driver
• MB is ashamed of her son's current occupation
• With Hari Raya approaching, she's afraid to meet her "high-flying" relatives who will ask about her son's current job
• She asks if it is possible to remove the Private Hire Car Driver’s Vocational Licence (PDVL) decal for one day, since she heard that the traffic police don't work on that day

[related_story]

Netizens ask why she's embarrassed

The post gained over 700 shares and 600 reactions on Facebook, with many Singaporeans reacting angrily towards her post:

"The one who should be ashamed is your son for having a mother like you. Sorry, he just lost his job. It's not possible for him to get another job with a fantastic paycheck. It's a good thing that he's working as a Grab driver instead of lazing around at home."

"Why are you embarrassed that your son is a private-hire driver? Why do you feel the need to look good in front of your siblings? It's already good enough that he's working... what if your son became a pimp? I got pissed reading this anecdote."

"Why should you be afraid of what people will think of you? Can their taunts and words sustain your family's livelihood?"

Removal of decal not allowed

We don't know where she got her information from, but we're pretty sure Singapore's Traffic Police will always be on duty, especially during public holidays.

According to the Land Transport Authority (LTA), private-hire drivers are required to display the PDVL decals at both the front and back windshields of the cars they drive for that purpose at all times, no matter what the vehicle happens to be used for at the time.

If the decal is not displayed, but the driver is still using it to ferry paying passengers, the vehicle owner can be fined up to S$1,000, or be slapped with a jail term not exceeding three months, or both.

Under the Vocational License Point System, the driver can also be fined S$500 and given 21 demerit points.

Read the original post here:

For our non-Malay speaking friends, here's a translation of the post:

"Hi admin, please hide my profile picture. With Hari Raya coming, I will be gathering with my extended family at home. My son is currently working as a Grab driver because he was recently retrenched from his previous job. He used to have his own car but now I notice his car has the "private hire" sticker at the corner of his window pane.

My extended family is big, I have 11 siblings. My nephews and nieces are all high-flyers. When the first day of Raya comes, I know they will ask questions like where he is working and how much he earns. I almost don't want to go for gatherings now, but I still have to go. But I'm afraid they will see the "private hire" sticker on his car. I want to know if the sticker can be removed for just a day. As far as I know, the traffic police are not working on Hari Raya, is this true?"

Top image via Grab's Facebook page